


Dickens and Downing Street

by Aintfraidanoghosts, Kelkat9, lunarsilverwolfstar



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Drama, F/M, Love Actually - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2014-01-04
Packaged: 2018-01-07 09:15:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1118146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aintfraidanoghosts/pseuds/Aintfraidanoghosts, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelkat9/pseuds/Kelkat9, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarsilverwolfstar/pseuds/lunarsilverwolfstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Prime Minister of Great Britain was your typical politician.  Rose Tyler wasn't your typical household staff.  Mixing person A with person B might seem an unlikely match and given Person A's rather stupendous ability to muck up every relationship in his life, one might think it a recipe for disaster.  Luckily for him, Rose Tyler was an unusual woman and with a little help from Charlie Dickens and a spot of luck, these two might find a formula that equals forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dickens and Downing Street

**Author's Note:**

  * For [callistawolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/callistawolf/gifts).



> Happy Belated Birthday, Calli! Sorry it took so long to post this.
> 
> Based on David and Natalie's story in Love Actually.

Prime Minister Smith liked starting his day out with a good wander around 10 Downing. This often included a quick visit to the kitchen for a spot of tea with his cook, Harriet, who he considered brilliant. No one made tea quite like Harriet and if he was lucky, which he usually was, there would be hot banana scones fresh out of the oven. Of course, she would remind him they were for later and didn't he enjoy the fry up she sent up earlier? He would pout and stare at her with his big brown eyes and eventually she caved and shoved a plate with a few at him, much to his squeaks of pleasure.

It wasn't just the kitchen that benefited from the Prime Minister's not so lofty visits. He enjoyed chatting with all of the staff that ran his home and kept it neat and tidy, which was no small task given his pension for spreading papers about and leaving post it notes stuck on lamps, doors and his laptop. Not, that anyone could read his notes. He was notorious for his scrawling loopy marks that only he could read so if he was leaving out some super secret code or security plans, no one knew. For all anyone could tell, they were just scribbles or maybe even a recipe for banana daiquiris. Still, his absent minded bric-a-brac and clutter mixed with his easy going friendly manner, endeared him to his staff.

It was during one of his good wanders, as he liked to call them, that he ran into a staff member that he had yet to meet despite being in office for about a year. He found the young woman in his Private Library. She was young, blonde and presently engrossed in his prized copy of _The Adventures of Oliver Twist._

"Hello!" he said cheerily as he bounced in dressed in his standard pinstripe suit and white scuffed up trainers.

The girl squeaked, dropped the book and held up her dusting cloth as if warding off a horde of demons. "Don't do that!" she chastised. "You nearly scared the life out of me!"

"Oh, did I?" he asked. "So, sorry! Just saw you in here reading good old Charlie Dickens and couldn't resist! So Oliver Twist?" he asked, grinning and rocking back on his heels.

"I was…just," she said, sputtering. "Dusting! Yeah, the books need dusting, real careful like dusting. So if you don't mind, I should get back to it. Wouldn't want the Prime Minister to run into all this dust floatin' around."

If possible he grinned broader, his brown eyes sparkling with mirth. "Oh no! Couldn't have that! I hear he has an aversion to…you know," he said and waved his hand in the air. "Dusty books and all that."

The girl nodded. "Yeah. Um scuse me, but I don't wanna get sacked for not doin' my job so I'll just get to it then." She bent down and gingerly picked up the book, smoothing the pages and lovingly put it back on the table where she presumably found it and then went about her dusting.

"So, you clean the library then?" he asked, wanting to find out more about this young woman whom he already deemed had good taste in literature.

She turned back to him as she ran her white cloth over some of the rich dark English Oak shelving. "Look um, who are you?" she asked, running a hand over her dark denim trousers and nervously tugging at her navy cardigan.

He grinned tickled she didn't know who he was. This did not happen often. "Oh, I'm Dr. John Smith. Who are you?" he asked, wondering when she'd realize that was Prime Minister Smith.

"I'm Rose, Rose Tyler. I'm sort of second level housekeeping responsible for the Prime Minister's Private Library and the Study."

"Oh yes! That's brilliant! Love the Library and the Study!" he said and walked over and picked up the book she had been reading. "Oliver Twist, a story about an innocent young boy's journey through a poor dismal life with his options limited to a workhouse or life of crime. He's a smart lad and although surrounded by corruption and evil, he makes the right choices, good friends and is rewarded for doing the right thing. Sort of like politics when you think about it."

Rose stood there staring at him and cocked her head to the side. "Yeah, I like that story. It's got lots of good lessons in it. Gives people hope. Dr. Smith, you look familiar. Have we met?" she asked, her brow furrowed in concentration.

He grinned and walked up to her. "You read any other of good old Charlie's books? And no, Rose Tyler, I don't believe we have 'cos I would have remembered someone as clever as you and with such good taste!"

She smiled brightly at him. "Thanks, Dr. Smith."

"Oh, you can just call me the Doctor if you like. I mean, my friends do and I think you and I are gonna be great friends. Not many people who appreciate a fine book like this. It's nice to see someone like you in here. So tell me, how long you been working at 10 Downing?"

She blushed. "Only a few weeks."

"Prime Minister," a well-coiffed woman in a dark blue suit entered the room and haughtily looked at Rose. "Are you being disturbed. I can file a report if this person is…"

"No," the doctor coldly cut her off. "That will be all Yvonne, unless you had some business to discuss that couldn't wait until our appointment?"

Yvonne looked chastised and plastered a fake smile on her face. "No, of course not Prime Minister. I'll leave you to your…whatever." She then turned on her designer high heeled shoes and walked away.

The Prime Minister turned to Rose who locked shocked and embarrassed.

"Oh God! You're the Prime Minister!"

"Yep! That's me!" he said with a smile.

"You're in charge of our country!"

He tugged on his ear. "Welllll, technically it's not all on me. We do have Parliament helping out every now and then."

She covered her face in her hands still holding the dust cloth and then sneezed.

"Gazundhite! And no need to be embarrassed. It's kind of nice not to be recognized immediately. People tend to get that glazed look over their eyes and they don't just talk to me about books and such. It's been nice talking to you this morning, Rose."

She lowered her hands and looked at him. "You're taller than you look on the telly."

He burst out laughing. "Am I?"

"Yeah and your hair's a bit um tousled, in a really great way. I mean you have great hair. Not that you aren't a great Prime Minister and people are only looking at your hair. I mean, oh I'm rubbish at this. Can we just start over?"

He walked over to her and took the cloth from her hands and set it on a table and took her hands in his. "Not a chance, Rose Tyler. You have been the best part of my morning and that's saying a lot since Harriet just made banana scones. Wonderful source of potassium, bananas!" he informed her but didn't let go of her hands.

All Rose could do was giggle. He was mad, bonkers really, but in a very real way. He was also a bit fit and not that she'd been looking, but not very many men could pull off a suit cut that tight. It took a really fine arse to pull off that ensemble and he definitely had it. Oh, but he was the Prime Minister and she shouldn't be thinking about his arse. She shouldn't even be talking to him. She was so going to be sacked!

"Rose," he said and there was something the way he said her name that was different. She liked it and couldn't help but smile at him in a friendly un-housekeeper like way.

"Yes, Prime Minister?"

"Doctor, call me Doctor. Only boring people call me Prime Minister and you are not boring.

"'Kay," she said, still smiling and looking into his brown eyes and finding a connection. It was weird to her since he was so out of her league and yet she felt so comfortable with him.

"Promise me I can find you in my library every morning. I mean, just to talk of course. Not to…" he babbled and let go of her hands to tug at his hair nervously.

"Sure, I'd like that. I'll make sure it's on my schedule. "

"Brilliant!" he said. "And feel free to borrow any book you like! Although, I'd avoid political science. Scary stuff in there!"

She laughed again. "Thank you, Doctor. I promise to take good care of anything I read."

He grinned back at her. "Right! I should get on with my day then and I'll see you tomorrow." He turned to leave and Rose went back to work.

He popped back in. "Just in case you were interested, Harry Potter, second shelf from the top. Just try to ignore J.K's notes. Wouldn't want you to get too spoiled!" He then bounded out of the room.

Rose stood there grinning and feeling a bit of a glow. She'd just met the Prime Minister of Britain and he was good looking, nice and a bit of flirt! She liked this job already!

After that meeting, Rose and the Prime Minister made a habit of meeting in the library every morning and talked about everything from the weather, her favorite chip shop, books, movies and their families. Rose felt herself growing closer to him. She never told anyone, not even her mum, about her meetings with him. One day, after she finished her shift, she ran into him on her way out.

"Soooo, since we just discussed the _The Hobbit_ , I thought we might, you know, watch the movie, if you want? I mean if you're not busy or have plans?"

One look into those puppy dog eyes was all it took and it wasn't like she was doing anything special, just meeting friends at a pub. Besides, she'd rather spend time with him and she had a feeling he was lonely. Being Prime Minister wasn't a very fun job and often it was him working very late hours trying to solve the unsolvable. Without hesitation she agreed and before she knew it, the two of them were in his private quarters watching _The Hobbit_ on a large screen telly with the two of them snuggled down on his leather couch eating popcorn and making fun of the various characters and debating the book vs. the movie.

By the end of the movie, something had shifted between the two of them. She was snuggled up into his side, curling her bare feet beneath her, dressed in jeans and a hoody and he was sitting there in his blue Henley, slightly unbuttoned, his brown pinstriped trousered legs propped up on a coffee table sans trainers. He had his arm around her and it was strikingly like a date night. Rose wasn't bothered by this. In fact, it made her indescribably happy even if there was a niggling doubt in her mind about whether or not this wealthy powerful man was just looking for a bit of skirt to amuse him. After all, she was just an estate girl with no A levels. Why would he like her? But then she looked at him and shoved that aside. He was the Doctor and he didn't care about any of that.

He looked down at her, feeling comfortable and happy and she smiled that special tongue teasing smile at him and he knew he was lost. Rose had come to mean a respite from the world of high powered politics, corruption and stress. She reminded him why he agreed to run for election. Rose was real and honest and he was falling for her. He didn't understand how or why but she was here and he…wanted to kiss her, more than kiss her.

Without hesitation, he did just that. In fact, it was the snog of his life. Her lips were so soft and she fit into his body perfectly, all her curves felt delicious against the hard plains of his body. He moaned as he felt her sweet tongue brush his lips and how she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth. It was natural for their tongues to glide and slide against each other. Her hands slid up his chest and around his back tangling in his hair and tugging in a way that made his blood shoot straight south. He wrapped his arms around her and held her firmly against him dipping down once or twice to enjoy the curve of her bum. Their legs tangled together and she ran her barefoot up and down his trousers and there was no doubt where this was leading and quickly.

However, he couldn't help the niggling of doubt in the back of his mind as clothes were slowly shed. He had a good decade on her, if not more, and he was the Prime Minister! Should they really be doing this? She must have felt his hesitance for she suddenly stilled as she was removing his Henley and looked up at him. It was the look in her hazel eyes, filled with lust, understanding, the same uncertainty, and something else he was afraid to name. Instead of saying anything, he closed the gap between them, kissing her sweetly and letting his hands roam further, sliding up her sides, his thumb caressing the underside of her breast before coming up to the zipper of her hoodie. Breaking the kiss, he looked at her, her blonde hair spread around her, lips red from being thoroughly kissed. _He_ had done that, he thought giddily.

Watching as a smug smile spread across that gorgeous face, Rose was done being a lax participant. When he came to lay claim on her lips once again, she took control. Pushing on his shoulders slightly, she had him sit up so she could straddle his legs. She grinned, her tongue peeking out slightly and she saw how his focus immediately zoomed in on it. He leaned in towards her, but she leaned back and shook her head. She almost gave in when he pouted. Oh, but he was practically irresistible when he jutted out that lower lip and gave that puppy-eyed look with his gorgeous, chocolate brown eyes. It took every ounce of self-control she had, which wasn't much to begin with, to ignore the urge to suck on that plump lip. Instead, she stood up and watched his bare chest and the slow rise and fall of his breathing. Shrugging off her hoodie, she crossed her arms and removed her shirt efficiently, if not a bit teasingly. When she finally pushed her jeans down and stepped out of them, strong arms came to wrap around her waist and pull her back towards the Doctor.

His eyes had darkened, until only a rim of brown showed and he couldn't help but explore every inch of skin bared to him. His hands gripped her thighs, bringing her closer to him before coming to rest on her lower back. Instead of flipping her onto her back, he peppered her face with sweet kisses, moaning as her small hands explored his chest. Her nimble fingers flicked his nipples and he grinned playfully before caressing her breasts over the silky cups of her bra.

Rose hummed, pleased, and began exploring him with her mouth. As she nibbled her way down his neck and stopped to suck lightly on the area where it met his shoulder, she heard his breath coming out in short pants. His hold tightened and he began to thrust up against her. When she stopped laving that particular spot with attention, the thrusts stopped and she looked up. She was amazed to see a heavy blush had spread across his cheeks and it wasn't from lust. Was he… embarrassed by his reaction? Oh, that would not do. Taking one of his hands in hers, she guided it towards the apex of her thighs and used two of his fingers to run them along her soaked knickers.

She watched as his jaw dropped and his breathing became even shorter. His fingers tentatively stretched the elastic and when he touched her without the barrier, this time it was Rose's turn to lose control of her breathing. Her legs gripped his thighs tightly for a moment before loosening. A wave of pleasure overcame her when he removed his fingers and automatically stuck them into his mouth, groaning as he tasted her indirectly. She had seen him taste and lick a lot of things over the past few weeks which had fueled her fantasies of him and _this_ , but her imagination had barely scratched the surface. Looking into his eyes, she whispered, "Take me to bed."

He looked at her seriously and she could swear he was staring straight into her soul. Finally, he nodded and stood, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other right on her bum, keeping her close to him. She wrapped her legs around him and held on.

The Doctor was hard pressed to let her go. He didn't know what he had done to earn the attention of this brilliant woman, but he wasn't going to waste another moment without her. As Prime Minister, the Doctor rarely had a life outside of his job and at first that had been alright. He loved his job. Didn't think about it as a job, really, helping where he could and running a country to the best of his ability (and he was _very_ good at it too, if he did say so himself). But it was also very lonely. Sure, he was always surrounded by people and there were a few he held dear and trusted. Rose, however, was different. She…

A hand touched his cheek. He blinked and looked down at the beautiful, pink and yellow woman spread across his dark blue comforter laced with silver thread. Lost in thought as he was, the Doctor had somehow directed them to his bed, a large four-poster thing made of mahogany and had laid them both across it. She was breathtaking, laying on the fluffy comforter that reminded him on the night sky.

Rose made a noise of protest when he suddenly moved off of her and the bed. She sat up and looked at him, wondering suddenly if he was going to back off. Instead, her eyes widened as she saw him unbuckle his belt and quickly chuck off his trousers and pants in one go. She stared at his erection blatantly and was oh, so very tempted to get off the bed and onto her knees to just have a taste. However, as she looked up and she saw the determined look in the brown-rimmed eyes. Before she knew it, she had a long, lean body hovering over her and suddenly everything was happening much more quickly.

His hand went to her back and he unhooked her bra easily. At the raise of a perfectly sculpted brow, the Doctor simply waggled his own and threw the garment away. He admired the sight of her, chest rising and falling, breasts shifting enticingly and so he wasted no time in bringing his mouth down to encircle a nipple with his tongue, sucking gently as one of his hands paid tribute to the other so neither would be left out.

Soon, he was leaving a trail of nips, licks, and sucks down to her abdomen and after hovering over her belly button for a few moments, his hands came up to loop on the sides of her knickers, tugging them down with efficiency and care. As soon as they were slipped off, the tides were turned.

"This isn't going fast enough for me," Rose whispered into his ear before nibbling the loopy lobe that always taunted her. Once again, she grabbed his hand and pressed it to her core, this time sans any obstacles. She moaned appreciatively when he got the message and easily slid one finger into her, his thumb coming to play with her clit. His other hand gripped her waist and she couldn't help but return the favour, reaching back to grab him firmly. He groaned deeply and she grinned in triumph as he flicked at her nub harder and added a second finger deep within her. Instead of letting him continue, however, she backed away, only to lean in to kiss the pout of his lips before sliding down his body once more.

She hovered over him, keeping her gaze on his as she lowered herself in one go. They both moaned and squirmed, his hands gripping her hips tightly as her inner muscles fluttered around him. It had been so long for her, for both, though she didn't know that quite just yet. When she felt she'd finally adjusted to him, Rose pushed herself back up, before sliding back down. She built a fast rhythm, up, down, back up, gave a little swivel that she knew he appreciated given the sounds he was making. She soon slowed down as her leg muscles began to tire. She bent down so their chests were suddenly parallel, though she never stopped thrusting onto him, shallow as they'd become.

Apparently, urgency had finally overtaken the Doctor as well, for he only allowed her a few short thrusts before he distracted her with a deep kiss, tongue thrusting into her mouth and mimicking what their bodies were doing before he stilled her hips and rolled them over so her back was on the bed once more. Taking a leg within his arm and letting the other steady him, he began thrusting into her. Her leg tightened around him and he nipped at her shoulder when her inner muscles began dancing around him all the more. His movements became frantic and he tried to steady himself, keep her close, and reach to where they met, but it wasn't working out quite as planned. A low whine escaped from the back of his throat and suddenly both her legs were around him and he had his fingers circling her clit. He even dared to pinch it slightly and was rewarded with a loud moan. He felt himself getting closer and closer, but he wanted to bring her over the edge with him. Or first. It didn't matter as long as she came as well.

Just when he thought he couldn't hold on any longer, he felt Rose suddenly stiffen and let out a loud, drawn-out, "FUCK!" as her orgasm rocked her entire being. The feeling of her clenching muscles, along with the expletive, had him following along with her with a final thrust.

The two were still as they came down their high, breaths loud and harsh. Finally, he sagged down, towards his side, being careful not to press down on her. They both moaned at the loss when he finally pulled out of her. Sweat dripped down on them and he knew he should probably get them cleaned up, but a wave of calm had come over them. The Doctor was completely relaxed and sated. Given her half-lidded eyes and blissful smile, he would say Rose was too. Pulling at the comforter that had become bunched up in their activities, he tucked it around them with a little difficulty as he refused to let go of her, pressing them together as close as possible. When he finally had it over them, he gazed at her warmly and his heart fluttered at the look she gave him right back.

"Good night, Rose Tyler," he whispered, afraid anything louder would break whatever dream they were in.

"Good night, Doctor." She wrapped herself in him, her head tucked under his chin and an arm around him. The two drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

After their first night together, it became harder and harder to control themselves around the other. The next day, Rose didn't have to work and the Doctor only had a few morning meetings to attend to. He left her in bed with a tray of breakfast on the dresser with a note that simply said _Be ready by noon, The Doctor_ in his loopy writing. At first, Rose had been a bit nervous to stay there, afraid someone would find her, but after eating and taking a shower, no one showed up so she continued reading _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_ until the stroke of noon. Right on time, the Doctor burst in the room, panting as if he'd been running a marathon, which wasn't too far from point.

"Ready?" He grinned at her, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Rose carefully marked the page she was at and looked up at him. "Ready for what?" she asked curiously.

Instead of replying he simply waggled his fingers and she laughed, slipping her hand in his as they seamlessly fit together and spent the rest of the day with each other.

The weeks that followed were stolen moments together, at most. He visited her in the mornings as he always had. Their giggles had to be muted with lips and moans had to be bitten back, but they were careful. Rose didn't want to get the Doctor in trouble and the Doctor didn't want Rose to have to suffer at the hand of the gossip columns. Oh, what he would give to hold her hand in public, though. Instead, he settled for lacing their fingers together and holding her tightly to him during their stolen hours. There were a couple of times when they were extremely lucky and were able to sneak out of 10 Downing in order to get some chips from her favourite chippy place. They even joined the last tourist group of Big Ben, wearing ridiculously large sunglasses and a floppy hat (in brown, of course) for the Doctor. Unfortunately, that was also the last time they were able to see each other for quite some time.

The President of the United States was in England and they had a conference, of sorts to do together. It was meant to be a show, really, as to how well the two nations' leaders would get along since the Doctor was new and all. He was sure that everything would go off without a hitch. However, what he hadn't anticipated was the President's penchant for pretty, young women or the level of possession and jealousy the Doctor had accumulated within the past few months for a certain blonde woman.

Before the speech the two leaders would do on live television, they mingled with other electives from both countries, state officials, members of parliament, etc. About half an hour later he suddenly spotted Rose, serving nibbles! Rose and nibbles, his favourite things in the world. As his mind suddenly wandered into combining the two, the Doctor didn't notice the President had seen him looking at her or the smirk that spread across the American's face.

The Doctor did notice, however, when the older man suddenly began speaking with his- with Rose. At first, Rose only smiled politely, but then he noticed her grinning and he watched, eyes darkening, as she began flirting. Right in front of him! With all these other people here! What was worse was that he had caught her in an out-of-the-way corner, yet he could easily see everything from where he was. Something clawed at his chest and he inhaled sharply through his nose to suppress the feeling.

Rose, on the other hand, was trying to excuse herself from this man, the President's, presence. When he first came towards her, she thought he was only going to grab a tea sandwich before moving on. Instead, he lingered and began speaking with her. Hiding her shock, she did her best to smile politely and nod, trying her best to listen at what he was saying. She really had little interest in politics, no matter that she worked in 10 Downing. It was just a job. She'd much rather be spending time with the Doctor in his room as he read her the final book of Harry Potter or watching the new BBC drama on telly, knowing he loved them no matter how much he complained. But the Doctor was Prime Minister, wasn't he? So maybe she did hold a little interest in politics. Her tongue stayed between her teeth

The Doctor could swear he saw red as he saw her teasing tongue poke out between her plump lips. That was his smile she was giving the President! The man was twice her age, for Pete's sake! He was just about to stroll over and snatch her away when his PR notified him that he was to start in five minutes. From the corner of his eye, he watched someone approach the President also. His eyes connected with hers and he saw her quirky smile directed at him, along with a playful gleam in her eyes. However, instead of calming him down, it enraged him further. Is that what she got up to? Seducing men of power? Though he knew he shouldn't go up in front of live television right now, steaming as he was, he did.

Rose watched the presentation, first with a proud smile, then when a small smirk as she thought of various ways she could get him to de-stress, noticing how the Doctor's shoulders were tensed. The smirk was soon replaced with a frown as she watched the scene unfold before her and her eyes widened at the not-so-subtle jabs he threw the President's way. Did he really think that? Her heart beat faster and she knew she had to get out of there before she did something embarrassing like throw the new platter of banana pudding she had picked up from the kitchen just for him. She made her excuses to Harriet and secured a cab to take her home.

Tomorrow, tomorrow when they both had time to calm down they would talk, she promised herself.

Unfortunately, tomorrow never came. As soon as she entered 10 Downing, Harriet was upon her, a bright smile on her face.

"Rose! Brilliant news!" the older woman exclaimed.

Rose, who had not had a great night, tossing and turning as she had been, plastered on a wide smile, trying to show some enthusiasm. "What is it, Harriet?"

"You've been promoted! You'll be working at the British Library now! Your salary will be double and there'll be no more need to dust some old books."

"But, but I never submitted an application," she said faintly.

"Well, someone must have noticed what a hard worker you are and how you're destined for bigger and better things! Oh, this is so exciting. I'm so proud of you, my dear."

Rose's head was spinning. Yes, someone had noticed her. But she had hoped… What exactly had she hoped for? A relationship? With the Prime Minister of all people? Rose had hoped she had become a better judge of character, especially after her last relationship with Jimmy Stone. However, if she could be fooled once, she could obviously be fooled again. She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill forth and said her goodbyes to Harriet and made a few rounds to other staff members, pointedly avoiding any place she might run into… him.

The months passed, without a word passed between them. Rose tried to move on, she buried herself in her work at the British Library, developing programs for the visiting schools and children's tours, but she ached for her Doctor every day. She avoided television, avoided the papers, avoided everything that could possibly remind her of him.

Then, one day, it was impossible.

Rose had a late start on her Christmas shopping that year, being so busy with work that she'd completely lost track of the time. She trekked through the snow, bags in hand, and passed by an electronics shop only half paying attention until a familiar, beloved voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

" _Well..."_

She turned slowly towards the display of televisions and her hearts seized. There he was, the man she'd walked away from and she missed every single day. His hair was still perfect, and he was still gorgeous, but there was something...off. The circles beneath his eyes were more pronounced, his jaw was set and tensed, and his pallor was just a fraction off. It was barely noticeable to anyone except her, who had spent hours studying and memorizing his face. All she wanted to do was gather him in her arms and never let go.

Struck with a sudden inspiration, Rose turned on her heel and began heading once more towards her parents' flat. She had something very important to put in the mail, and desperately hoped that a miracle would happen and he would receive it.

Prime Minister Smith poured himself a finger of scotch and scrubbed a hand over his face. It was Christmas Eve and he'd finally managed to send the last of his staff home to be with their families. His assistant, Sarah Jane, who had been giving him pointed looks for weeks now reminded him that even Prime Ministers could take a holiday every now and then. He knew his sister, Donna, had wormed her way onto his calendar with his niece and nephew's Christmas pageant, but he didn't feel up to going. It had been a few months, but he still missed Rose.

He thought transferring her to the library would be a good move, even though he expected a sound tongue lashing that never came. There wasn't another word. She had said her good-byes to everyone else on his staff, but had left him without another word. And he _missed_ her, so fiercely it hurt. He'd had difficulty sleeping before she began sharing his bed, and had experienced his most restful nights curled against her. He felt her absence in every part of his life, but she surely wouldn't want to see him again. Not after he had unceremoniously booted her completely out of his life.

He was a complete _arse._

Sighing deeply, he took the tumbler of scotch and his briefcase over to his favorite armchair and tried to block out the memories of lazy snogging that had occurred in that very chair. He took a sip of the numbing beverage and set his case on the table, opening it to see a large stack of Christmas cards set right atop of the official-looking documents. A sticky note attached in Sarah Jane's handwriting read-"A random sample, Happy Christmas!"

He sighed and began working through the pile, giving each a cursory glance and tossing it on the seat next to him. He continued on this was for several minutes until one card stopped him in his tracks. It was different from the rest, not a generic winter scene or holiday themed as others had been. This one featured a scene straight out of "A Christmas Carol," with the Cratchett family all seated around the table, Christmas goose prominently placed and Ebenezer Scrooge beaming from the head seat. Curious, he opened the card and nearly dropped it at the first sight of familiar, loopy handwriting.

_Dear Doctor,_

_Merry Christmas, and I hope you have a very happy New Year. Oh, that's complete rubbish, isn't it?_

He grinned, imagining Rose's exact tone of voice saying the same thing and continued reading.

_I don't really know what I did or why I upset you, but I guess I never thought I was good enough for you anyway. It made it easy to walk away. But no matter what happens, please know that I am (and always will be) yours._

_Love,_

_Rose Tyler_

_PS Have Sarah Jane choose your ties, yeah? Every time I see you you're clashing._

He chuckled a bit even as he blinked back tears. She really thought she wasn't good enough for him? Oh, Rose. It was _he_ who didn't deserve her. Didn't deserve her kindness, her smile, her love...

Before he could overthink things, before he could talk himself into making the second biggest mistake of his life, he grabbed his phone and punched in the familiar numbers. "Sarah Jane? I need a car. Right now, thanks."

He hung up before he heard Sarah Jane's retort of, "It's about time." Sarah Jane knew whose card had been in that stack and she had hoped this would be the reaction. She smiled as she dialed up his car service. Even Prime Minister's needed a nudge every now and again.

It was only after tugging on his favorite brown trench and hurtling down the stairs that he realized he had no idea where Rose lived.

They'd spent so precious little time _really_ together, and it had always been more convenient to see her at Downing Street. He remembered her mentioning that she grew up at the Powell Estate, and her parents and little brother still living there. He ignored the look of shock on his driver's face and piled into the town car along with his body guard, Jack.

He was silent on the car ride, despite Jack's casual inquiries about why he was headed to such a "dodgy" area of London. His driver announced a short time later that they had arrived, and turned around to ask John which number flat was hers.

It was then that he realized he had no bloody idea.

"Blimey," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Well, Jack, looks like we're knocking on some doors..."

After several failed attempts, one instance of singing Christmas carols, and many excuses about the new door-to-door service straight out of Downing Street, he finally knocked on the door of number 41, and the burly, balding, half-dressed man rather gruffly informed them that Rose lived in next flat over before slamming his door in their faces.

His heart began beating in double time. This was it, he'd finally see her, after so long. All he'd wanted in the universe was this woman and he could only hope she'd be willing to forgive him for all he'd done.

Gathering his wits, he raised his fist to rap at the door. Before he made contact, the door opened to reveal a rather harried looking family, all bundled into warm clothing and staring at him in shock. The blonde woman was gaping, a ginger-haired man looked at him quizzically, the small boy mirroring his expression from underneath his rather impressive octopus costume.

"Um," he began before beaming at them brightly. "Hello! Is Rose in?"

"Where the _fuck_ is my fucking coat?" the voice he hadn't heard in so long called from inside the flat. She finally came into view, and he drank her in like a man dying of thirst. She was gorgeous and glowing in a red cowl-necked sweater and simple black trousers, her hair loose and flowing around her shoulders. His fingers practically itched to run his fingers through the golden strands, but he held himself back as her shocked gaze met his.

"Hello," she muttered, her gaze not wavering from his.

"Hello," he replied, completely awestruck for a moment before bringing himself back to the present. "Um...sorry, I just needed...Rose..."

"It's the bleedin' prime minister!" the woman who was presumably Rose's mother screeched.

"Yes, Jackie, I think we can see that..." the man replied.

"Why're you here then?" the young boy asked, peering at him from his colorful, papier machie helmet. "Why do you want to see Rose?"

"Tony, don't ask so many questions," Rose snapped. "I'm sorry, we're just on our way out and we're _really_ late..."

"It's Tony's Christmas pageant tonight...all of the local schools have come together and they're putting on a huge show..."

Rose rolled her eyes and he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. "Too much detail, Mum. Anyway, we've got to get going..."

"Oh! Right, well...why don't we give you a lift? And Rose and I can discuss this...official state business in the car..."

Rose smiled at him, that sun-from-behind-the-clouds smile that made him weak at the knees after so long without it. "Okay," she murmured while her family all joined in with their thanks.

After bundling Jackie and Rose's father, who he had learned was called Pete, into his usual police escort vehicle, he and Rose climbed into the back of the town car with Tony the octopus between them. He wasn't entirely sure what he could say with the little six-year-old ears listening in, but Tony seemed very interested in the bubble wrap glued to his tentacles and didn't seem at all fazed by riding in posh car with the Prime Minister.

"I...erm..." he began, tugging uncomfortably at his ear. "First...I just...wanted to say...thank you. You know...for the Christmas card."

Rose's face lit up. "Oh, I'm so glad you got it. I was worried, you know, because I'm sure you get thousands of cards and whether or not mine would come through..."

"I think Sarah Jane may have had something to do with it..."

"What happened, Doctor?" Rose interrupted, her eyes turning downcast. "I mean, one day everything was wonderful and then...you were transferring me. You wouldn't even _look_ at me..."

He winced. "It was me. I was a fool. I saw you with the President and you were smiling and flirting...I went a little bit mad."

"I wasn't flirting, Doctor, I promise," she assured him, reaching over Tony to grab at his hand. He threaded their fingers together, letting out a shaky breath at the contact. "I was being friendly. He's the president of the United States! And when I was smiling...well..." She blushed. "It was because I was thinking about you."

"Yeah?" he asked hopefully, grinning.

"Yeah," she admitted. "And how quickly I was falling in lo-"

"We're here!" Tony announced.

"Well...that was a short trip," John muttered, helping Tony somewhat awkwardly maneuver himself and all of his tentacles over his lap and out of the vehicle, leaving himself and Rose _finally_ alone. That charge, that attraction that had always been there was back, and all he wanted to do was lay her across the soft leather seats and kiss her for the rest of their lives.

In fact, he was just about to do exactly that when Rose grinned. "Come on, we don't want to miss the show."

"Oh," he began, his heart beginning to pound in terror. "No, no, no, no no no, no, you couldn't possibly have a worse idea than that."

When her pink tongue came poking out between her teeth, he knew he was a goner.

"I went to school here, I know my way around. Trust me, no one will see you. Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him from the vehicle. "Run!"

He grinned, so happy to have Rose Tyler's hand back in his that he couldn't help but follow after the woman he loved.

John allowed Rose to lead him through the back stage door of the gymnasium, somehow evading his entire security team and even managing to run into his sister Donna and his niece and nephew who were as shocked to see him as he was to see them. They hugged and John wished them all good luck, introducing Rose as his catering manager and ignoring Donna's pointed comments and knowing looks. She scurried off moments later with her little lobster and angel. Rose cast a quick look around for any sign of Jack before tugging him in a dark corner of the stage, hidden by a curtain.

They watched the little nativity show in near silence, but the tension in the air was thick. Tony and the Doctor's niece and nephew were adorable, though what lobsters and octopi were doing present at the birth of Jesus was beyond him. Finally, when he thought he could barely stand being so close to Rose and not touch her, they announced the finale of the show.

A sweet, young girl's voice began singing out across the stage, _"I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need...I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. Oh I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true...all I want for Christmas is...youuuuuuuuu!"_

A jaunty, bouncy tune began playing and Rose began wiggling and being quite distracting from her place beside him. Immediately, he raised their joined hands and wrapped his other around her waist, smiling at her confused expression and spinning them in their tiny space. Rose laughed joyously, holding him tightly to her as he danced them from corner to corner.

She tugged him close as the song came to a finish, brushing her lips across his ear as she whispered, "I love you, John Smith."

He gasped and without thinking, without hesitating, pulled her in for a deep kiss. Her fingers instantly found his hair and he groaned, the feel of her lips on his after so long nearly causing his knees to give out. Their tongues dueled and he gripped her as close as possible, vowing not to ever willingly let her go again.

He barely registered the curtain in front of them rising, their dark little area gradually brightening as the music came to a stop and the entire auditorium went silent. Lips still attached to Rose's, hands still cupping her face, he turned in time to see every eye on them, mouths agape, phones clicking, and he also managed to make out Donna's triumphant smirk from her place in the third row.

He pulled away from Rose, not relinquishing her hand but rubbing his free one over the back of his neck. "Right! Yes...well then..."

"What do we do now?" Rose whispered, trying in vain to neaten the red lipstick that had smeared over her mouth.

"Smile," he whispered back, gripping her hand and raising his free one in a friendly wave. "Wave. Bow."

Rose did all these things turning into his side and trying to ignore the dozens of camera phones fixed on them. She smiled, despite the mess they were in, so deliriously happy that she couldn't contain it.

"And now, Rose Tyler," he murmured into her hair. "We _run_."


End file.
